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At Spearhead we have always known that good leadership training increases productivity. This fact is backed by the government’s train to gain initiative – who on their website quote statistics that employers who don’t train are 2.5 times more likely to fail than those who do. Perhaps that’s why in the current uncertain economic climate the government are keen to support SME’s by providing new funding specifically for Leadership training.

In the past, smaller companies have been put off seeking funding for leadership training because of the complex administration process. That’s where we can help you. Spearhead Training have linked up with Decipher UK Ltd to help you access funding for your Spearhead leadership training course. Decipher UK specialise in working with regional grant providers to administer grants currently available for Small and Medium sized businesses. They will help you through the application process to ensure your grant is successful. So now there really is no excuse to not book your leadership training course!

Making the change from being a team member to being the team manger can create a great deal of anxiety in the newly promoted manager. After all you need to gain the respect of the team whilst ensuring results are still achieved and targets met. If you are a new manager and haven’t had any management training it can be hard knowing what type of relationship you need to have. In this article from Spearhead Training we look at some of the do’s (and don’ts) for managing.

Some new managers try to gain respect by adopting an autocratic approach becoming bossy and domineering. Others go to the other extreme, “mothering” their team and trying to protect them. Perhaps because they haven’t had management training such managers don’t know that treating your team members like children will make them behave that way – which just means trouble, either now or later. A better relationship to aim for is that of being direct and honest with your team members. An honest relationship allows you to address problems as they arise and then move on. If you don’t take this approach the problems won’t get resolved, they’ll just get bigger.

One question people attending management training often ask is “How much distance should I create between the team and myself?” It is not a simply question to answer. Keeping the balance between being close and remaining distant is hard because situations are constantly changing. Perhaps the most useful question for all new managers to ask themselves is “In the present situation, how would I feel most comfortable if I were a team member?”

Using this question regularly will guide you to making the right decisions, provided you are objectively assessing the needs of the situation and not simply making yourself feel more comfortable. Be aware that whilst it is natural for the newly promoted manager to want to use the team for their own emotional support (leadership can be lonely), this approach can seriously backfire. Instead aim to fulfil your need for fellowship by using interaction with people of the same or similar level. Sharing concerns on a management training course with other managers from different departments or organisations can be useful and reassuring fro the newly promoted manager.

Tags: management training

Have you ever wanted a tailored management training course but been frustrated because you haven’t got the budget to commission the writing of a bespoke management training programme? Well Spearhead Training’s new “Pick and Mix” management training modules are the perfect solution.

We have used our 28 years experience to design a series of management training and business skills modules that can be put together in any combination you like to form your own unique training course that can be delivered at a time and venue of your choice.

Simply pick any four modules from the pick and mix selection to create your perfect one-day tailored training course and then leave the rest to us. We will use your choices to design a balanced course consisting of tutor input, exercises and skill development sessions. What’s more, this approach will cost you significantly less than a bespoke course.

There are currently over  50 modules to choose from, and we will continue to add more modules over time.

Tags: management training

Ask any successful manager what they found hard in their first management role and invariably time management will come fairly close to the top of the list. It is not easy trying to balance the various demands people – including your team – make on your time whilst trying to get your own work done. If you are new to the role of management and haven’t had good management training you can find yourself working longer and longer hours and getting more and more frustrated. This article, based on the experiences of Spearhead’s top management trainers and the principles taught in our management training courses, provides some guidance.

First, if you are new to your role you need to appreciate that efficiency usually improves with experience. Don’t be too hard on yourself if, in the early days, you do take a little longer to do things that other (more experienced) managers do with apparent ease. All managers attending our management training courses agree that moving into their new management role required dedicated hard work.

As you start to get to grips with your new role you need to beware of becoming the type of manager who boasts of working exceptionally long hours every day with never any time off. This type of manager is clearly demonstrating that they cannot manage themselves let alone manage anyone else! What they should do is get themselves some good time management training, but they don’t because they never have the time!

The starting point for time management is for you to assess what you need to do – and what you can delegate to the team. Never fall into the trap of thinking you have to do everything yourself – if you fail to delegate you will fail to manage.

So having delegated effectively, the next thing you need to do is to distinguishes between the urgent and the important tasks; scheduling your discretionary time to ensure those that are important are progressed in a timely manner. Good managers know how to set and stick to self-imposed, as well as other-imposed, deadlines. Failure to do this results in the self-made crisis, and is stressful for you and for your team!

A final word of warning – remember the KIS principle and don’t become such a “time management fanatic” that you end up wasting time by trying to micro-manage it.

One aspect of time management newly promoted managers can struggle with is avoiding procrastination, particularly in the area of making decisions. There are always plenty of reasons not to take a decision, reasons to wait for more information, more options, more opinions… But this type of procrastination not only wastes managerial time but also leads to missed opportunities. Successful managers display a consistent bias for action; after all, the only manager who never makes a mistake is the manager who doesn’t do anything! Get into the habit of making decisions in a timely manner; use decision making techniques to help you, and if you find yourself procrastinating be honest with yourself about your reasons why then set yourself a deadline to solve those problems and make that decision you’ve been putting off.

Tags: management training

Sales Training Courses

With the prospect of a global recession looming, many companies are looking for ways to maximise the sales opportunities that are available and are therefore seeking to provide in-house sales training courses for the sales team. Whilst a recession is a time for cutting back and reducing costs, sales training is seem a an essential survival tool. Many companies treat an in-house sales training courses as their insurance policy in that it prevents lost sales in tough market conditions.

Another factor of concern for companies is sales force motivation in tough market conditions. Therefore they also see sales training as an opportunity to boost morale and therefore productivity.

Typical subjects that are covered in these sessions are justifiying price and increases in price; objection handling and presenting the business case. Most sales people a good at all three disciplines, however sales training can fine tune skills and techniques.     

Management training can be a major benefit not only to an individual enhancing his career but also for the firm he is employed under. Management training can make the difference from a business being a standard business to a leading business.

Spearhead Training are a leading training company based within Oxfordshire providing expert training in management training.  With an ever increasing skills base Spearhead Training are fully committed to providing the very best management training programmes available online. No matter the industry or the level of manager required Spearhead Training can tailor a fully dedicated training programme to suit any company.

Spearhead Training is launching a new course for 2009 to complement its existing open sales training course portfolio. The course is called Sales Support as is for aimed at anyone that supports the sales function of their organisation.

The course is a one day workshop and the details can be found in our sales training section of our website.       

Typical job roles that the course is aimed at are technical back-up, internal sales support staff, credit controllers, engineers, delivery staff. Very often these staff have more regular contact with customers than sales people and are therefore often better placed to identify opportunities. The course is therefore highly complementary to sales training that is provided for the sales team.    

This sales training course for support staff covers their role in the sales function; the effects they have the image of their company; identifying opportunities and problems; customer contact skills and relation skills.

Management courses are slowly becoming greater in popularity with employers looking at enhancing their staff’s skill levels. Spearhead Training first established in 1981 has quickly become one of the leading UK training companies offering management training courses. With years of dedication in offering the most effective management courses has ensured an ever increasing portfolio of successful applicants. Spearhead Training have hand picked a leading team of professional tutors all with proven track records to ensure the very best training is provided across all the management courses. All the management courses are held throughout the year with a large range of courses available across a massive selection of sectors.

Spearhead Training are a specialist management training company offering training and marketing solutions to businesses and individuals alike. With over 26 years of experience they are able to provide management training courses for virtually any industry. Spearhead Training regarded highly as one of the leading companies in the UK for management training offers a dedicated philosophy where they are fully committed to providing world class training at cost effective prices. With an ongoing interest in offering the very best in management training Spearhead Training have an ongoing dedication in ensuring all individuals undergoing training will pass with the highest levels of distinction.

Management training can be a major benefit not only to an individual enhancing his career but also for the firm he is employed under. Management training can make the difference from a business being a standard business to a leading business.

Spearhead Training are a leading training company based within Oxfordshire providing expert training in management training.  With an ever increasing skills base Spearhead Training are fully committed to providing the very best management training programmes available online. No matter the industry or the level of manager required Spearhead Training can tailor a fully dedicated training programme to suit any company.